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Maxwell's at the Club Restaurant Review
Ebullient cubs fans -- sated after a late-inning come-from-behind victory over arch-rival St. Louis -- were streaming out of Wrigley Field and heading toward the trains that would deliver them to their homes in the 'burbs. Lauren and I however, were already on a train that would take us in the opposite direction: toward Chicago and a reservation at a unique venue in the River North area of the city. Located in the prestigious East Bank Club -- certainly a subject worthy of its own review -- a once-nameless restaurant there has long been a significant dining destination for some of Chicago's elite. But after extensive remodeling, the swanky eatery reopened in October of 2008 as Maxwell's at the Club (named as a tribute to East Bank Club's first executive director and Chicago sport legend Max Davidson) and is available now to East Bank Club members and the general public too. Typically referred to as "Getaway Day", a sea of humans was heading west, toward Ogilvie Transportation Center; I felt like a salmon trying to swim upstream as we headed east on Madison and across the Chicago River just before 5:00 on a Friday afternoon. But a perfect and warm spring day with only a mild (albeit cool) lake breeze was reason enough to eschew the cab ride and walk the mile or so north to our destination.
Arriving with plenty of time before our scheduled appointment, we stopped at the bar for a Grey Goose on the Rocks and a glass of Russian River Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay; the world's banking/economic crisis took an immediate hiatus. Three musicians -- piano, bass and drum -- added to the tranquility as I drifted, watching the ebb and flow of wait-staff calmly going about their tasks.
In an odd
turnabout, Lauren wanted to try the Italian Night Buffet (as described by our
waiter, it made my mouth water and I almost ordered it, too).
Available were anti-pasto, some wonderful salami, prosciutto, assorted
cheeses (I tried the aged parmesan and fontina: excellent) , rotisserie-chicken salad, Caesar salad, sautéed halibut with pesto, beef
I ordered salmon. This was not just any salmon, mind you; this was an Organic Norwegian Salmon Fillet, which I had requested grilled. It was accompanied by a small ramekin of flame-roasted eggplant-tomato sauce and a mini-pyramid of brown rice. A side of perfectly-roasted Brussels Sprouts was colorful and rounded out the meal. While I have had salmon at numerous venues in many regions, this was quite possibly some of the best I have ever tasted: crispy where the grill marks were placed, moist and succulent inside.
What really impressed me the most was perhaps the service... professional to the Max (if you'll pardon the pun). If you have ever had the pleasure of going to a club... for any reason, you will surely know what I mean. As a simple example, Lauren left the table briefly to powder her nose. No sooner had she departed than our waiter appeared and, without notice or fanfare of any sort, quickly and quietly re-folded her napkin and placed it back on the table. Likewise, wait-staff appeared occasionally throughout the evening and matter-of-factly cleared plates or replaced soiled silverware with clean versions, filled partially depleted water goblets or performed several other tasks that easily would go unnoticed to the occasional diner. These are the types of things that can really make dining out an enjoyable experience. And although East Bank Club is a club, the service is extended to everyone in the dining room -- member or not. The restaurant managers were also omnipresent in the dining room throughout the evening, stopping at each and every table to introduce themselves, say hello and check to make certain that all was well. This is a very nice touch that I'd like to see more often at all restaurants. So on this particular evening, there was joy.. not only in Wrigleyville, but in the River North neighborhood as well. All of the cards had fallen (pardon that pun too) in the right places as the warmth of spring, and the warmth, excellent dinner fare and professionalism at Maxwell's provided a top-notch evening. I really think though, that the joy is here at Maxwell's every night. I also think that if you would like to treat yourself to an incredible evening out, make a plan to have dinner at Maxwell's at the Club. I guarantee you'll truly enjoy the entire experience.
By the way, the menus at Maxwell's at the Club provide patrons with nutrition information about many dishes -- most of which are made from scratch -- including calorie count, fat content and the number of carbohydrates. Maxwell's, is open weekdays for lunch and dinner, plus brunch on Sundays... However, my recommendation is to forget calorie-counting and just enjoy the excellent cuisine! As the train rolled out of the station and back toward the western suburbs, I had already begun to think about what I could order on my next visit... I give Maxwell's a perfect Five Zins for a perfect evening! Your Table is Waiting...
Photos courtesy Kurman Communications,
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Had I
expected anything at all, it would have been exactly what I saw as we
entered the dining room: dark wood in sections on the walls, yellowish light
streaming upward from wall fixtures as white light filtered down from tiny
recessed ceiling lights, and beautifully-framed black-and-whites of Chicago hanging
above the booths around the outside of the room. All dining tables
echoed the dark wood (perhaps cherry or mahogany), framing dark charcoal
centers; the dark wood floor was polished and bright. Silverware was
rolled in starched, golden-colored cotton napkins, and a bread plate, water
goblets and a small oil candle graced the table top. (The upholstered
chairs and booth cushions, by the way, were perfectly coordinated to
match the room decor.) An abundance of wait-staff danced a
well-choreographed pas-de-deux, gliding past tables and each other as they
effortlessly replaced an occasional utensil, removed a plate, delivered an
entree or glass of wine. Although available to non-members, Maxwell's
still exuded the look, feel, service, highly professional character and
extreme attention-to-detail that is quite properly, all Club.
No sooner
had we been seated than an immaculately-dressed waiter introduced himself
and queried as to whether we would care for a cocktail or perhaps a glass of
wine before dinner. We selected a glass of La Crema Pinot Noir and
another Russian River Chardonnay as our waiter explained the menu and the
special buffet: the Friday Night Italian Buffet. A selection of
breads, crustinti, panini, focaccia and butter was delivered and we sampled the breads
as we sipped our wine and munched on the Seared Ahi Tuna --
exquisitely prepared -- that we had ordered
as an appetizer. If this were simply a business meeting, one
additional appetizer -- perhaps the Jumbo Lump-Meat Crab Cakes or Colossal
Shrimp (an exquisitely slick oxymoron for an incredible dish) -- and I would
have been completely happy. The fun however, was only beginning.
tenderloin
in wine sauce, and
And rather
than try to pick a half-dozen or so dishes from an incredible menu, I'm
going to give you a link to it and let you see the compact selection of a
range of fare -- from light to hardy, that simply says: "Come back again...
and again, to try more of these many wonderful items." Keep in mind
though, that this is only the
Executive
Chef Mike Lodes and Executive Sous-Chef Rick Hall and their staff have done
a superlative job with the food; congrats to Restaurant General Manager
Charles Reid and Assistant Restaurant Manager Monika Lee for a
professionally-trained and very attentive dining room staff. Bravo!
